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CM SU1I - Perspectives on Lean Management

Faculty
Kenneth Brinch Jensen, CBS

Course Coordinator
ISUP Secretariat

Prerequisite/progression of the course

Undergraduate level of organisation theory completed

Course content, structure and teaching

The course offers a thorough insight into the Lean philosophy of managing value streams in and across organizations. Drawing on organization theory the Lean concept will be discussed in relation to structure, culture and control systems. These organizational sub-systems play a pivotal role in forming the local identity of Lean. In addition, the course discusses critical literature on Lean. Finally the course focuses on the implementation process and proposes different perspectives on implementing Lean.

The course's development of personal competences
  • The student becomes able to critically design and evaluate upon lean processes in organisations
  • The student gets prepared to understand how management controls and other organisational factors inhibit or support the Lean philosophy in getting part of daily management
  • The student becomes a potentially knowledge intensive change agent in Lean implementation
Learning Objectives

The objective is to contextualize the Lean ideal creating a more nuanced picture of its potentials and limitations across different types of organizations than what is offered by popular management literature.

Examination

Final exam: 4-hour written exam (open book)

Exam aids: Technical aids allowed

Re-take exam: 24-hour written exam

Recommended literature
  • Womack, J. P. & Jones, D. T.: “Lean Thinking” (1996)
  • Lind, J.: “ Control in world class manufacturing – A longitudinal case study”, (2001), Management Accounting Research, 12, pp. 41-74.
  • Mehri, D.: “The Darker Side of Lean: An Insider’s Perspective on the Realities of the Toyota Production System”, (2005), Based on Notes from Toyota-Land: An American Engineer in Japan

Last updated by ISUP Secretariat 28/01/2010